Flight of Shadows is the sequel to Broken Angel, also by the same author. In this story, it follows the story of Caitlyn Brown, an Invisible who is required to live under the radar for a variety of reasons. A product of a DNA experiment gone wrong, Caitlyn escaped from Appalachia in search of the one man who would be able to correct the lab-induced deformity she has. But while this is going on, she is also on the run from a bounty hunter who knows that her DNA is a priceless commodity.

In addition to the main story of Caitlyn, it also follows Caitlyn's two friends, Billy and Theo, who also escaped from Appalachia, and are eagerly looking forward to a pre-arranged reunion with Caitlyn. However, what the two boys don't realize is that their every move is being monitored by the government in an attempt to locate Caitlyn and capture her for her DNA.

Overall, this book is jam packed with action, from lightning-fast chases through streets and passageways to Caitlyn doing whatever it takes to avoid those who wish to do her harm.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Waterbrook Multnomah Publishers as part of their Blogging for Books <http://waterbrookmultnomah.com/bloggingforbooks/> book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255

Flight of Shadows by Sigmund Brouwer is the sequel to Broken Angel about Caitlyn Brown. Caitlyn has escaped Appalachia and started a new life working as a maid in a hotel. Billy and Theo are still waiting to meet her so they can seek freedom in the West together. Mason has emerged from his on personal hell with one less eye and even deeper madness and darkness in his soul. Pierce hasn't given up the search for Caitlyn, especially after his failure in Appalachia. If you haven't read Broken Angel, go do it now! You must read it in order to fully enjoy this book and understand the characters' history together. When Caitlyn is threatened on the job, she is forced to expose her secret, which brings her a new ally, Razor, who she's not sure if she can trust, but feels strongly drawn toward. Brouwer has set the players on a chessboard in this book. Caitlyn is the king, who everyone wants to own or protect. Mason is a rook, smashing anything in his path to revenge, Pierce is the bishop moving smoothly through each step of the game, and Razor is the knight whose moves are never expected or in a straight line. Brouwer ratchets up the tension even more in this book, with Caitlyn constantly in danger, and the reader has no idea who to trust. There were many pages I read with my hand over my mouth and forgetting to breathe. I have to admit that I am a bit disappointed that Brouwer has ended the series here, but he did an excellent joy tying up loose ends. With this amount of talent and the ability to create such breathtaking surprises, Brouwer is definitely an author to watch.

I like to read a variety of booksâ€”mystery, suspense, children's, fantasy, paranormal, sci-fi, young adult, mainstream and Christian. I chose this book because the description said Christian, young adult, speculative fiction. This is the only Sigmund Brouwer book I have read, but I did not like his style of writing in this novel. He takes whole paragraphs for description and background instead of interweaving and sprinkling it in naturally. Perhaps the sentence structure and group titles (Outsiders, Influentials, Enforcers, etc.) work for this age group, but it didn't work for me. While the action picked up about half-way through the book, really the only reason I made myself finish reading was hoping the story would get better and give a proper and thorough review.

Maybe if I had read Broken Angel (the prequel to Flight of Shadows) the story would have been easier to follow. As it was, I had a hard time keeping track of all the characters, their actions, and storylines. Caitlyn is the main character and the result of an experiment with genetic DNA codes. She tries to blend in and hide her deformity, trying to decide if it is a blessing or a curse. Jordan and Charmaine are the scientists who originally worked on the Genesis project, the one that performed the DNA experiments. Jordan tried to rescue Caitlyn from being a science experiment, but the two ended up separated and left Caitlyn on her own. Theo and Billy rescued Caitlyn from drowning in one of her attempts to escape a bounty hunter named Mason. Theo and Billy seem to be the only ones who accept Caitlyn unconditionally.

Now on the Outside, Caitlyn is running from Everettâ€”someone who lives in a hotel where she cleaned rooms, from Mason the bounty hunter, Pierce Carson from the NI agency, the military, and Charmaine who wants to continue the DNA research and experiments now that she knows Caitlyn survived. Then there is Razor who seems to help Caitlyn, but you're never really sure whose side he is on.

I read the story from beginning to end, but was never drawn in. There seemed to be three to four different viewpoints going on, but I don't think the characters had enough of a distinct voice to be able to follow the transitions smoothly. When the same scene is written from different viewpoints, Brouwer spent too much time retelling descriptions and dialogue. There were some suggestive scenes that I did not expect and did not appreciate finding in what was supposed to be a Christian young adult book. In fact, the author describes everything Mason the bounty hunter did in such a disturbing and gruesome manner that I would not recommend this book to young adults and I would caution adults and Christians both. I do not plan on reading anything else by Sigmund Brouwer.

Disclosure: I received this book free from the publisher to give an honest review.

I love science fiction. When Christ found me over 10 years ago, I had a really hard time letting go of some of my old favorite books because they no longer fit with my world view. So, when I come across "Christian" science fiction, I do a little happy dance.

This book, Flight of Shadows, lived up to my expectations, mostly. I did not know going into it that it was the second in a series. I have the first one now checked out from the library and plan on starting in on it this week. Lucky for me, the way that this book is written, it doesn't matter (much) that I haven't read the first one. I think that the character development in the first part of the book would have been a lot easier to follow had I read Broken Angel first, but I was still able to get the plot and the characters without it.

The near-future world that Brouwer has created is fascinating. It makes you think about the state of the nation without being obnoxious about it. The explanations of the elements of the world are just that, explanations, without being preachy about what we're doing wrong.

The characters in the book are well developed and consistent. The plot is a little challenging to get into at first, but it's well worth it. The overall writing style is tight, staying within the correct perspective of each character and providing just enough detail. My only complaint is that I would have liked to see more where the character's beliefs lie, but I think that may be more expressed in the first book. I give this book four stars and can't wait to read more by Sigmund Brouwer. Thank you to WaterBrook Press for sending me this book for review.